Babushka's Mother Goose by Patricia Polacco

A collection of stories based on the author's Russian grandmother's storytelling. Some stories seem to be retelling of Mother Goose's tales but with a Russian focus. Others appear to me to be folktales. The illustrations have a Russian/Eastern European flair.

I picked this up because the word Babushka reminded me of my grandmother. I enjoyed the rhyming and the unfamiliar words used are fun to say even if a child doesn't know what they mean. The illustrations are bright, colorful and detailed.

Polacco, P. (1995). Babushka's mother goose. New York, NY: Philomel Books.
ISBN: 0399227474
Illustrated by the author

That New Animal by Emily Jenkins

Two dogs have to adapt to the introduction of a new baby in the household. At first suspicious and unhappy, they surprise themselves when grandpa comes to visit.

An excellent book that could be used to explain the new baby concept to an older sibling or the importance of pet's roles in the household. The illustrations are amusing and colorful.

Jenkins, E. (2005). That new animal. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
ISBN: 0374374430
Illustrated by Pierre Pratt

The Napping House by Audrey Wood

Members of a household are sleeping soundly only to be woken when a flea bites the dog. Repetitive text encourages participation. The colors used in the book mimic the activity in the house.

I loved the colors in this book. The soothing blues and greens when sleeping slowly give way to bright yellow when the full household awakes. Children will respond to repeating the text as a new member of the household is added to the bed.

Wood, A. (1984). The napping house. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
ISBN: 0152567089
Illustrated by Don Wood

Tangerines and Tea, My Grandparents and Me by Ona Gritz

An alphabet book that uses alliterative rhyming phrases for each letter and illustrations that demonstrate siblings visiting grandparents on their farm.

The illustrations are full inviting children to identify many objects. The word choice and rhyming make this a fun book to read aloud. At first, I did disagree with this categorization as an alphabet book. The letters are not shown with the rhyme so it would not be as useful as some in letter recognition. However, it is helpful in reinforcing the sound of each letter.

Gritz, O. (2005). Tangerines and tea, my grandparents and me. New York: NY, Harry N. Abrams.
ISBN: 0810958716
Illustrated by Yumi Heo.